Key



J. A. PHILLIPS Feb .8, 1938.

KEY

' Filed Dec. 19, 1955 "IV mm K/ 4 r This relativerotation carries the corners of the I polygonal flange on the locking member into.

Patented Feb. 8, 1938 KEY - James A. Phillips, Hopkinsville, Ky., assignor to The Ford Meter Box Company, Wabash, Ind.,

a corporation of Indiana Application December 19, 1935, Serial No. 55,186

9 Claims.

My-invention relates to water-meter boxes and 'fsimilar] devices provided with removable covers I or lids normally held in place by locking mechaa "n'ism includinga rotatable member terminating on. the outside of the lid or cover in a polygonal or other non-circular head adapted to receive a i ,be released'.- It is the object of my invention to so arrange the locking mechanism and thekey as to permit'the key, when the lock is released, rm 'become operatively connected to the lid or V cover so that it may be used as a handle in moving the cover to open the box. I I in carrying out my invention, I provide the locking member of the box with a head having atfits extreme outer end a flange which is non- ;"cir'cular and preferably'polygonal in plan and which is spaced from the adjacent upper surface FOfthe-cOVer. V For operating. the locking member 1" provide a wrench having a-socket corresponding inshape to that of the flange. Portions of the wall of this socket are cut away inwardly from the end of the socket so as to permit a limited rotation of the socket relative to the locking member when the socket is in place.

the undercut portions in the socket walls and preven ts the key from being removed from the locking member by axial movement. Asa result, thekey becomes operatively connected to the cover of the box and serves as a temporary handle therefor. 7 V j a .'I"l'1e accompanying drawing illustrates my invention: Fig. 1 is a fragmental vertical section "through a portion of a meter box and cover with 'the'keyin place in association with the locking member; Fig. Zis a horizontal section on the j the lockingmember I2 is provided with a helical 1 'groove co-operating with alug 53 which projects "inwardly from the wall of the boxll). By

ff '55l;=rotating the locking member 12. in one direc- ,'tion,*=the cover II will be drawn tightly to its "seat onthe rim' of the box, and by turning the. rotatable member l2 inthe opp s "direction, l the cover will be'lifted' a short distance from its fseatl This particular form of locking memline.2-,.2 ofFig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a horizontalsection on the line,3,-3 of Fig.1. 1

. jThemeter box l0, only a portion of which ",ais: shown in' the i drawing, is provided with a removable cover H which may be hinged to the Lbox or. otherwise mounted, as for example through the medium of the invention .shown in v'ided with someform of locking device, includ- :1 O;..ing' arotatable member 12 mounted in the cover;

Asjshown in the. drawing, the lower end of ber, while preferred, is

jinvention.

The locking member l2 has a journal portion of reduced diameter rotatably mounted in the cover I I, andprojects upwardly beyond the cover in the form of a head l5 having at its extreme upper end a flange E6 of non-circular, preferably polygonal, shape. As shown, the flange [6 is pentagonal, but it may take other forms. protect the head of the locking member and also to discourage tampering by individuals not provided with a proper key, the head of the locking member may be located in an upwardly opening recess or pocket I! in the upper surface of the cover. II.

The key which is used to operate the locking not at all essential to my member I2 may take various forms. That shown in the drawing comprises a shank 28 having on its upper end a T-head 2i and on its lower end a socket 22 adapted to receive the head of the locking member. In cross-section, the headreceiving recess in the socket 22 generally corresponds in shape to the flange [6; but inwardly from the lower end of the socket the side walls of this recess are relieved, as indicated at 23 in Fig. 3 to permit a limited rotation of the socket relative to' the locking member. In the case of a locking member with a pentagonal flange 16, as shown in the drawing, the extent of this rotation may be in the neighborhood of 36; so that in its limitposition the socket will be mid- Way between two positions in either of which its openings would register with the flange IS. The limit position of the socket relative to the flange is illustrated in Fig. 3.

To unlock the locking member 12 by the use of the key shown in'the drawing, the socket 22 isplaced over the head l5 of the locking member, as indicated in Fig. 1, and is then turned in the direction to release the locking memberpreferably counterclockwise, in accordance with custom. The relieved portions 23 in theinner Wall of the socket are so arranged as to permit the key to rotate relatively to the locking member in the unlocking direction. When the key reaches the limit of itsrotation relative'to the head. the corners of the flange l5 engage the ends of the relieved portions 23 within the socket, as indicated in Fig. 3; and further rotation of the key relative to the head is prevented. Therefore, as counterclockwise rotation of the key continuesthe locking member i2 is rotated to release the cover, the corners of the flange iBredmaining in the relieved portionsg 23. When the 'locking member i2 has been rotated to completely unlocked position, the cover H can be raised by lifting the key, axial separation of the key and locking member being prevented by the presence of the corners of the flange l6 within the relieved portions 23.

To close the meter box, the lid is lowered into place and the key rotated in a looking, or clockwise direction. During the first portion of this rotation, the key rotates relatively to the looking member until the unrelieved portions of the inner surface of the socket engage the corners of the flange l6; and thereafter, the key and locking member rotate together until the locking operation is completed. When this has been accomplished, the key may be withdrawn by direct axial movement.

I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to equip the box cover H and the key with co-operating provisions which would interengage and permit the key to be used as a handle in raising the cover when the cover-lock was released; but my invention has several advantages over such an arrangement in that no special form of cover is necessary, in that the exterior surface of the socket 22 is smooth and not provided with any projecting lugs, and in that it is not necessary to have the key in any specific position relative to the cover when it is being used to raise the cover.

I claim as my invention:

1. A combined key and handle for a meter-box lid having a rotatable locking member provided at its outer end with an outwardly extending flange of polygonal shape spaced from the adjacent portion of the lid, said key having a flangereceiving socket of size and shape corresponding to said flange, the inner walls of said socket inwardly from the open socket-end being provided with relieved portions to permit rotation of said key in an unlocking direction relative to said locking member and to limit such key-rotation to a position in which the open end of the socket will be out of registry with said flange.

2. A combined key and handle for meter-box lids, said key being provided with a socket having an open end of polygonal shape to pass the correspondingly shaped head of a rotatable lock member, the side walls of said socket at a distance inwardly from the open end thereof being relieved to permit only a limited rotation of the socket relative to the head of a lock member in place therein.

3. A combined key and handle for meter-box lids, said key being provided with a socket of generally polygonal shape to receive the correspondingly shaped head of a rotatable lockmember, theside walls of said socket having relieved portions to permit a limited rotation of the socket relative to'the head of a lock member in place therein, and lips rigid with said socket and extending radially inwardly at the open end thereof to cover said relieved portions of the socket while leaving an opening for the passage of the lock-member head.

4. A combined key and handle for a meter-box lid having a rotatable locking member provided at its outer end with a radially extending, undercut projection, said key being adapted to interfit with the end of said locking member when moved axially into association therewith and having a radially extending projection adapted to be brought beneath the projection on said rotatable member to prevent axialseparation of the element and key when they are rotated relatively to each other, and provisions on said key for limiting the extent of its rotation relative to said locking member.

5. A combined key and handle for a meterbox lid having a rotatable locking member provided at its outer end with a radially extending,

undercut projection, said key being adapted to interfit with the end of said locking member when moved axially into association therewith and having a radially extending projection adapted to be brought beneath the projection on said rotatable member to prevent axial separation of the element and key when they are rotated relatively to each other.

6. A combined key and handle for a meter-box lid having a rotatable locking member provided at its outer end with a radially extending, undercut projection, said key being adapted to interfit with the end of said locking member when moved axially into association therewith and having a radially extending projection adapted to be brought beneath the projection on said rotatable member to prevent axial separation of r the element and key when they are rotated relatively to each other, said key having a limited extent of rotation relative to said locking member.

'7, In combination, a lock-operating member mounted for rotation in a meter-box lid about an axis generally perpendicular to the plane of the lid and fixed in axial position, and a key for rotating said operating member, said key and locking member being provided with interengaging provisions engageable by limited rotation of the key in an unlocking direction relative to said lock-operating member and operative when engaged to prevent axial separationof the key and lock-operating member, whereby the key may employed as a handle to open the lid.

8. In combination, a lock-operating member mounted for rotation in a meter-box lid about an axis generally perpendicular to the plane of the lid and fixed in axial position, and a key for rotating said operating member, one of said last named members being provided with an outward- 1y projecting non-circular flange and the other with a socket of size and shape corresponding- 9. In combination, a lock-operating member mounted for rotation in a meter-box lid about an axis generally perpendicular to the plane of the lid and fixed in axial position, and a key' for co-operation with said operating member, said operating member being provided with an outwardly projecting non-circular flange, and said key having a socket of size and shape corresponding with said flange, the walls of said socket inwardly from the open end thereof being relieved to permit the key to rotate relatively to the operating member in an unlocking direction and to limit such key rotation to a position in which the open end of the socket is out of regis-- try with said flange, whereby said key may, after rotating said operating member in an unlocking direction and to limit such key rotation to a position in which the open end of the socket is out of registry with said flange, whereby said key may, after rotating said operating member in an unlocking direction, bev employed as a han' clle to open the lid.

JAMES A. PHILLIPS. 

